Toronto's 31-year long love affair with the memory of Bob Marley

Toronto marks Bob Marley’s 77th Birthday this Sunday

Eight-community leader to receive Bob Marley Day Humanitarian Awards

 

Information Bulletin  This is the 31st time that the city has honoured the late great Jamaican musician.  In previous years there have been public events held to mark the Reggae star’s birthday, this year it will be recorded at A Different Booklist Cultural Centre - The People's Residence.

 

The Award Ceremony – sponsored by Roots Canada - airs Bob Marley Day’s YouTube Channel on Sunday, February 6th at 3:00pm.

 
After the Proclamation issued by Mayor John Tory is read, we will honour this year’s recipients of the Bob Marley Humanitarian Award. 

 

Receiving awards this year will be:
 
1.Ian Allen (OBVC Board member and Director of Strategic Communications and Initiatives, Ontario Treasury Board Secretariat)
2.Steve Anderson (Deputy Mayor for the Town of Shelburne and a Regional Councillor for the County of Dufferin)
3.Deborah Cox (Award winning entertainer)
4.Gervan Fearon (President George Brown College)
5.Tiffany Ford (Entrepreneur, Former School Board Trustee and Community Advocate)
6.Siphesihle November (Principal Dancer National Ballet of Canada) 
7.Valarie Steele (Community Activist)

8.Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard (Canadian Senator from Nova Scotia)

 

The Bob Marley Day team is tweeting out the photos and bios of this year’s recipients, one at a time over the next three days. Our first tweet is below.

 

Bob Marley Day Toronto

@BobMarleyDayTO

Congratulations to Ian Allen on being named one of the 2022 Bob Marley Day award recipients. Ian is a @blackvoteCanada Board member and Director of Strategic Communications and Initiatives for the Ontario Treasury Board Secretariat #onelove

For information, interviews and photographs

Contact the Bob Marley Day committee

Bobmarleydayto@gmail.com

Breaking News From Ottawa re: Black Class Action Lawsuit

Federal Budget acknowledges the reality of systemic discrimination and Black employee exclusion from the Federal Public Service of Canada

In its 2021 budget, the Government of Canada signaled an intention to address the painful realities of systemic racism faced by Black Public Service Workers. There remains much to be done to address the staggering underrepresentation of Black employees in the upper echelons of the Public Service and to take down barriers to the full inclusion and equality of Black Public Service employees. Much more must also be done to address the past harms of the practice of Black employee exclusion, and its impact on thousands of Black Public Service workers.

The Government’s budgetary commitment included $285 million over five years toward the collection of disaggregated data which will benefit all Canadians, including Black Canadians and members of the Public Service in future public policy decisions. The budget further proposed amendments to the Public Service Employment Act which is a necessary first step in moving toward a diverse and inclusive workforce that addresses systemic barriers to hiring and promotion. 

This response by the Government arose in the context of the Black Class Action lawsuit filed on December 1, 2020. This suit seeks to remedy the practice of Black employee exclusion and to strike down systemic barriers to the hiring and promotion of Black employees in the Public Service. The suit also seeks to secure just and equitable compensation for exclusionary practices in hiring and promotion on the part of the Government. All of these elements must be urgently addressed in order to achieve true fairness and equality for Black Public Service employees.

According to PSAC National President Chris Aylward "PSAC welcomes the proposed changes to the Public Service Employment Act in the federal budget,”. It’s an important first step in acknowledging decades of painful exclusion and discrimination experienced by thousands of Black public service workers. We hope this is a sign that the government will take the necessary steps to correct past injustices and create a fair and equitable Federal Public Service.” 

Lead plaintiff for the Black Class Action, Nicholas Marcus Thompson, also issues a similar call to the Government; “Black Public Service Workers renew their offer to work with the Government and all political parties in a collaborative manner to eradicate the practice of Black employee exclusion and to redress the harm to Black public servants over the past 50 years.” 

Since filing of the claim in December on behalf of 12 plaintiffs, over 700 class members have stepped forward and 12,900 supporters have signed the Black Class Action's online petition calling for the Government to end the plight of present and past Black Public Service workers. The class action is supported by various Unions including the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), who recognize the great contributions of Black public service workers in helping to shape Canada, and the need for much needed change to the system of hiring and promoting Black employees, whose representation remains woefully disproportional to their numbers in the general population and in the Public Service.

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has on numerous occasions recognized and committed to end Anti-Black systemic racism and discrimination in the Public Service and in Canada. This Class Action presents a golden opportunity for Canada to finally reconcile the historical inequities and ongoing exclusion faced by Black Public Service Workers, in order to move forward in creating a more representative Canadian Public Service, which is to the benefit of all Canadians. 

For further information or media inquiries please contact: 

Sara Fonseca

(416) 972-9472

info@blackclassaction.ca

circulated on behalf of blackclassaction.ca

by Stephen Weir

: Four Black Police Officers To Give Deposition on Racism with the York Regional Police Force

IT ALL WILL  HAPPEN WEDNESDAY LIVE ON YOUTUBE

On Wednesday, February 24, four Black York Regional Police Officers, and their lawyer will be appearing before the York Regional Police Services Board (YRPSB) to make a vitally important  deputation on matters of systemic racism and discrimination within the service.  The media is invited to attend and cover this important live online deputation that is being held during Black History Month.  

 

"The Deputation is an act of Bravery on the part of the officers who have been traumatized over many years. It is also an act of Bravery on the part of the York Region Police Service Board to  build bridges and address systemic racism,” explains the officers’ Counsel for Justice and Equity – Courtney Betty.  The goal is to make York Region a model for other Police Forces to follow."

“As a result of ongoing internal anti-Black racism conflicts, I have had with my employer for almost 10 years, I along with three other Black officers who have had the same complaints regarding YRP's differential treatment of its Black employees will be appearing before the York Regional Police Service Board to voice our concerns,” says  Police Constable Dameian Muirhead, “We will also be sharing intimate details about how this treatment has impacted our mental, physical and emotional health,” he continues. “Our close relatives have also been negatively impacted by these experiences.”

 

The officers who will speak on Wednesday morning are:

 

·      19-year veteran Detective Constable Neil Dixon. He is currently on leave as a result of suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, due to a near-death experience after a racial profiling incident involving two White YRP officers and a Sergeant.

·      Special Constable Vernley France has been with the force for 19-years. In 2015, he came forward to address the issues of racial discrimination and anti-Black racism in the workplace.  As a result of his coming forward, York Regional Police retaliated in the form of a series of  ongoing reprisals against the Caribbean Canadian constable.

·      Police Constable Dameian Muirhead is an 18-year veteran of the Service.  The Jamaican Canadian officer continues to endure various internal and external adversities while maintaining exemplary work performance as documented in all his formal work evaluations.  

·      The Fourth Officer, is identified as Police Constable ST

 

Normally held at  the York Region Administrative Centre’s chambers in Newmarket Wednesday’s deputation will be live online on Zoom and viewable by the media and the public on YouTube. 

 

The YRPSB is a seven-member civilian governing body mandated to oversee the police service. Expected to attend the hearing are members: Virginia Hackson (Chair, Mayor of East Gwillimbury), Maurizo Bevilacqua (Vice Chair, Mayor of Vaughan), Wayne Emmerson, Josh Cooper, Jennifer Fang, Walter Perchal and Norma McCullough. Mrs. McCullough is the only Black member of the Board; she  is currently a member of the Association of Black Law Enforcers.

There are 2,400 men and women working for the York Regional Police under the command of Chief Jim MacSween, Deputy Chiefs’ Brian Bigras, Paulo Da Silva, Cecile Hammond and Robertson Rouse.  Deputy Chief Rouse, a Trinidadian Canadian, is the only Black officer in the service's Upper Command

There are 1.2 million citizens living in York Region, 25,000 who self-identify as Black.

 

Further Information

For interviews, photographs and more detailed biographic information on the officers. Please contact

Stephen Weir,

Communications Consultation

416-489-5968, Stephen@stephenweir.com

@sweirsweir

 

York Regional Police Services Board Meeting:  February 24, 2021 –9:00 a.m.

To watch on live YouTube  https://youtu.be/WIVa251JYts

 

 

It is official - Saturday is Bob Marley Day in Toronto

 

ONE LOVE MEDIA RELEASE 

On Behalf of the City Council, Mayor John Tory – in a very eloquent speech – officially declared February 6, 2021 Bob Marley Day in Toronto.  

  

This marks the 30^th year that the City of Toronto has officially declared Bob Marley Day. In his message, the Mayor recognized the impact of Bob Marley both in his music and his philosophy of world peace and unity captured in his famous song “One Love”. 

The video link below captures the Mayors' message along with the messages from our award winners:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQwcfgBR_IU&feature=youtu.be

Media Download:

 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhNXfckYjHyNhFM-2fd6b9wNmBvL?e=qxs2yJ

   

The Bob Marley Day committee also recognized the following individuals for their contribution in building our City and our country. 

• Celina Caesar-Chavannes  
• Jennie Esnard  
• Theresa Betty  
• Dr. Aubrey Zidenberg  
• Andria Barrett  
• Nicholas Marcus Thompson   
• Velma Morgan  
• Balarama Holness 
  
• Director X

For further information, contact Courtney Betty at 647-884-1181.

Betty's Law Office

(416) 972-9472

www.bettyslaw.com

 

Distributed by

Stephen Weir & Associates on behalf of Betty's Law Office

Toronto, Ontario

stephen@stephenweir.com

416-489-5868

Federal Black employees launch multimillion dollar lawsuit against the Government of Canada

CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

Claim seeks to address and bring to an end the unjust practice of Black employee exclusion

OTTAWA – On Friday current and former Black public servants filed a class action lawsuit against the Government of Canada on behalf of thousands of Black public service employees who have been subjected to systemic discriminatory barriers in hiring and promotional practices.

The claim, which has been filed in the Federal Court of Canada, contends that the federal government’s systemic practice of Black employee exclusion has led to economic and psychological harm to thousands of employees dating as far back as the 1970s.

“Black Canadians are overwhelmingly underrepresented in the upper echelons of the public service,” said Toronto lawyer Courtney Betty, a former Crown Attorney. “We are asking the federal government to fulfill its legal obligations of equality as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights. This systemic practice of Black employee exclusion has for decades turned the dreams of many Black employees into a lifetime of pain and suffering.”

The claim calls on the federal government to implement a concrete plan blackclassaction.ca/diversity-plan to diversify the public service and empower Black employees. The claim also seeks restitution for the approximately 30,000 Black public service employees who have been subjected to these racist systemic practices for decades.

“This practice of Black employee exclusion has deprived Black Canadians of opportunities, and fellow Canadians of the benefit of full Black employee participation in service of their country,” said Toronto Employment and Human Rights lawyer Hugh Scher who is also representing the employees in this class action.

Prior to this claim, the federal government acknowledged the issue of systemic racism across Canada and within government institutions. Despite Prime Minister Trudeau stating that “Canadians must now go back and reflect on the building blocks that elevated these organizations and examine whether they were built on a racist foundation,” no action has been taken to end the practice of Black employee exclusion in the federal public service.

“Canada’s public service presents itself as a ‘merit-based, representative and non-partisan organization that serves all Canadians’. While laudable as a principle, many Canadians, particularly Black Canadians, have experienced a different reality,” said Chris Aylward, National President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. “The government must do what is necessary to right these wrongs and ensure that these injustices do not continue.”

“Justice delayed is justice denied. There is never a convenient time to advocate for justice,” said plaintiff and retired RCMP Staff Sergeant Alain Babineau. “Black Canadians can no longer stand by silently and allow these systemic practices to continue. It is time to take meaningful action to end systemic discrimination and racism within the public service.”

 BACKGROUND:

The full statement of claim is available online at: blackclassaction.ca

The plaintiffs have developed a series of recommendations for the Canadian government to diversify the public service. A copy of this plan is available online at: blackclassaction.ca/diversity-plan

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Sara Fonseca

Betty’s Law Office Email: sara@bettyslaw.com

 *Interviews with the plaintiffs and legal team are available on request

STEPHEN WEIR. Media stephen@stephenweir.com